In an unprecedented move, the Office of the Attorney General yesterday was given the green light to seize the assets of a man convicted of terrorism in the United States.
Presiding in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday afternoon, Justice Nadia Kangaloo ruled that the AG’s office had provided sufficient evidence to deem 70-year-old Kareem Ibrahim, formerly of Tacarigua, a terrorist under the Anti-Terrorism Act and could begin the process of seizing his assets.
Because the AG’s office is yet to identify any assets attributed to Ibrahim, Kangaloo granted a “blanket” order granting permission to seize assets which may be eventually found in searches which are still ongoing.
Potential items which could be seized include bank credits, traveller’s cheques, bank cheques, money orders, shares, securities, bonds, drafts, letters of credit whether situated in T&T or elsewhere, and legal or equitable interest, whether full or partial, in any property.
Under the order granted by Kangaloo, if Ibrahim, who is serving a life sentence in the US for his role in an alleged 2007 plot to blow up the JFK Airport in Queens, receives parole and is deported back to Trinidad, he will not be permitted to open bank accounts or conduct financial transactions.
“This order does not prohibit Ibrahim from spending the sum of $1,000 a week towards his ordinary living expenses nor does it prohibit him from spending a reasonable sum on legal expenses,” the order stated.
The application, filed last week using evidence compiled by US prosecutors to convict Ibrahim, is the first since the Anti-Terrorism legislation was passed by Parliament.
The legislation empowers the AG’s office to apply for the power to seize the assets of a person, once there is evidence of that person committing a terrorist act, both locally and internationally.
Under the legislation, Ibrahim or his family will be able to appeal Kangaloo’s decision in 60 days time. They were not allowed to make submissions before Kangaloo made her decision as the legislation allows for the AG’s application to be heard in the accused person’s absence.
The AG’s office was represented by Pamela Elder, SC, Michael Rooplal and Central Authority head Netram Kowlessar.
Speaking at a press conference following the closing ceremony of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force’s (CFATF) plenary meeting at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, last week, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi noted Ibrahim’s application was the first of several being considered by his office and the National Security Council.
“There are several we are looking at right now. Once the evidence has been nailed down and when everything is gelled together the applications will be made. Due process must be observed, hence avoiding pre-trial publicity by revealing names and addresses,” Al-Rawi said.
Speaking later at the Piarco International Airport, where he met Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on his return from abroad, Al-Rawi said the ruling was “an important matter for T&T.”
Commenting on the issue of alleged T&T foreign terrorist fighters returning home, Al-Rawi said the National Security Council was hard at work co-ordinating those issues.
He said international partners have been providing the necessary information “to track foreign terrorist fighters and T&T citizens who may be involved in that.”
While some have argued that such people should not be allowed to return home, Al-Rawi said the Government “simply intends to apply the laws of T&T.”
He said the Government was committed to applying the law to deal with alleged terrorists.
“More action, less talk is what is really required,” he added.
He said there must be “no witch-hunting or wild allegations...due process requires evidence.”
Al-Rawi said citizens could look forward to “a tight application of our laws.”
—With reporting by Richard Lord
About Ibrahim
Ibrahim, also known as Winston Kingston, was convicted on May 26, 2011 of conspiracy to launch a terrorist attack at the John F Kennedy Airport in Queens, New York, in 2007.
He and Guyanese nationals—Russell Defreitas and Abdul Kadir—were accused of plotting to explode fuel tanks and the fuel pipeline under the airport.
The evidence at the trial established that Ibrahim, an imam and leader of the Shiite Muslim community in T&T, provided religious instructions and operational support to a group plotting to commit a terrorist attack at JFK Airport.
The trio was arrested in Trinidad in June 2007 and were eventually extradited to the US to face trial.
He was found guilty after a four-week trial and was sentenced to life in prison. He is currently serving time at the US Medical Centre for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, United States.